Kung Karls jakt
Encyclopedia
Kung Karls jakt is an opera
with music by Fredrik Pacius
and a libretto
by Zacharias Topelius
. It was the first opera to be composed in Finland
. Kung Karls jakt was first performed in Helsinki
on 24 March, 1852. Although the text is in Swedish
it concerns an event from Finnish history when Finland was a province of Sweden in the 17th century. The work takes the form of a Singspiel
with spoken dialogue between the musical numbers (the king himself does not sing). The music is heavily influenced by contemporary German and Italian opera, with a few Finnish elements such as the use of a kantele
in one scene.
to the Åland Islands
to go hunting. Leonora, the daughter of a local fisherman, learns of a plot against the king's life and saves him. In return, the king spares the life of her fiancé Jonathan, who has been condemned to death for killing one of the royal elks.
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
with music by Fredrik Pacius
Fredrik Pacius
Fredrik Pacius was a German composer and conductor who lived most of his life in Finland. He has been called the "Father of Finnish music"....
and a libretto
Libretto
A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...
by Zacharias Topelius
Zacharias Topelius
Zachris Topelius was a Swedish-speaking Finnish author, journalist, historian, and rector of the University of Helsinki who wrote novels related to Finnish history in Swedish.-Life and career:...
. It was the first opera to be composed in Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
. Kung Karls jakt was first performed in Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
on 24 March, 1852. Although the text is in Swedish
Swedish language
Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...
it concerns an event from Finnish history when Finland was a province of Sweden in the 17th century. The work takes the form of a Singspiel
Singspiel
A Singspiel is a form of German-language music drama, now regarded as a genre of opera...
with spoken dialogue between the musical numbers (the king himself does not sing). The music is heavily influenced by contemporary German and Italian opera, with a few Finnish elements such as the use of a kantele
Kantele
A kantele or kannel is a traditional plucked string instrument of the zither family native to Finland, Estonia, and Karelia. It is related to the Russian gusli, the Latvian kokle and the Lithuanian kanklės. Together these instruments make up the family known as Baltic psalteries...
in one scene.
Roles
| Cast | Voice type | Premiere cast |
|---|---|---|
| King Charles XI | spoken role | |
| Leonora | soprano Soprano A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody... |
|
| Jonathan | tenor Tenor The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2... |
|
| Reutercrantz | bass | |
| Gustaf Gyllenstjerna | baritone Baritone Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or... |
|
Synopsis
The plot concerns the visit of the young King Charles XICharles XI of Sweden
Charles XI also Carl, was King of Sweden from 1660 until his death, in a period in Swedish history known as the Swedish empire ....
to the Åland Islands
Åland Islands
The Åland Islands form an archipelago in the Baltic Sea. They are situated at the entrance to the Gulf of Bothnia and form an autonomous, demilitarised, monolingually Swedish-speaking region of Finland...
to go hunting. Leonora, the daughter of a local fisherman, learns of a plot against the king's life and saves him. In return, the king spares the life of her fiancé Jonathan, who has been condemned to death for killing one of the royal elks.
Recordings
- Kung Karls Jakt Soloists, Jubilate Choir, Finnish National Opera Orchestra, conducted by Ulf Söderblom (Finlandia, 1991)
- The Hunt of King Charles (sung in Finnish translation) Soloists, Pori Opera Choir, Pori Sinfonietta, conducted by Ari Rasilainen (Marco Polo, 2007)
Sources
- Ruth-Esther Hillila and Barbara Blanchard Hong: Historical Dictionary of the Music and Musicians of Finland (Greenwood, 1997) p.293
- Donald Jay Grout A Short History of Opera (Columbia University Press, 2003 ed.) p.547
- Penguin Guide to Opera on Compact Discs (1993) pp.282-283